Breakdown of É provável que o gestor me pergunte por que quero este emprego.
ser
to be
querer
to want
este
this
que
that
me
me
o
the
o emprego
the job
o gestor
the manager
provável
likely
perguntar
to ask
por que
why
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Questions & Answers about É provável que o gestor me pergunte por que quero este emprego.
What does É provável que mean, and why is it used with a subordinate clause?
It translates to "It is likely that". This impersonal expression introduces a subordinate clause and implies uncertainty. In Portuguese, such expressions typically trigger the use of the subjunctive mood in the following clause, reflecting that the outcome isn’t guaranteed.
Why is the verb pergunte in the subjunctive mood instead of the indicative?
Expressions like É provável que express possibility or doubt. In Portuguese, when you have this kind of uncertainty, the verb in the subordinate clause should be in the subjunctive mood. Pergunte is the present subjunctive form of perguntar, which correctly indicates that the action (asking) is only likely to happen.
What does gestor mean in this sentence?
Gestor means "manager" or "administrator". Here, it refers to the person in a leadership position who is expected to ask the speaker about why they want the job.
How does the pronoun me function in this sentence, and why is it placed before pergunte?
The pronoun me functions as the indirect object, meaning "to me". In European Portuguese, clitic pronouns like me are commonly positioned before the verb—even in subordinate clauses that use the subjunctive. This placement is a typical syntactic rule in the language.
Why is por que written as two words here, and what does it signify?
In this context, por que introduces an indirect question and translates to "why". Writing it as two words distinguishes it from porque, which means "because". The separation clarifies that it’s an interrogative element within the sentence.
What is the significance of using este emprego instead of esse emprego in this sentence?
Este emprego means "this job". The demonstrative este is used to refer to something that is either close to the speaker or has just been mentioned. In Portuguese, este (this) typically indicates closeness or immediacy, whereas esse (that) might refer to something more distant or less immediately relevant in the conversation.